Mexican American War

To lose it in war

To add it to a country

To split it with another country

They feared it would cause a war with Mexico

They believed it was too expensive

They didn't support the people who were in charge of Texas

Andrew Jackson

Thomas Jefferson

James K. Polk

Zachary Taylor

To create unity among Americans

To build a trade partnership with Mexico

To protect America from invasion from Mexico

To achieve Manifest Destiny

Mexico had wanted to reclaim Texas and this would make it harder for them to do that

Mexico and the U.S. disagreed about the southern border of Texas

Mexico had already annexed Texas before the U.S.

Mexico wanted to accomplish Manifest Destiny before America

To claim Texas for the U.S.

To claim California and New Mexico for the U.S.

To defend America from an attack from Mexico

To stop Native American attacks on the border of the two countries

Gold had been discovered in California

California was largely unsettled and easy to conquer

California used to be part of the United States and they wanted to reclaim it

Americans would spread Christianity to California

When Mexican troops fired on American troops at the disputed Texas border

When American troops allied with Mexico

When James K. Polk officially declared war on Mexico

When Mexico invaded the U.S. to claim Texas

Many Americans supported Polk's decision to go war and believed it was necessary

Some Americans viewed Polk's decision to go to war as violent and unnecessary